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Nick consulted the piece of paper in his hand again, and then looked up at the labels on the end of the stacks.
He was beginning to wonder whether he’d inadvertently gone past the row he wanted. He had so many books in his office that he rarely had to venture into the campus library, and the complexities of the Dewey Decimal system were starting to give him a headache.
No sign of the number he wanted yet. Sighing, he checked the paper again and carried on walking.
But when he reached the final row without finding what he was after, he came to a confused halt. Had he missed the right row after all? Or written the number down wrong?
Then, peering down the aisle between the shelves and the library wall, he noticed a large alcove at the far end, with what appeared to be more books in it.
He’d check there, he decided, and if that was a bust he’d have to return to the library catalogue and check the records again.
Edging his way down to the alcove, he peered up at the shelf labelling, pleased to find that the numbers were now a lot closer to the reference on his paper.
The third row in the alcove finally delivered him to the right place, and he smiled to himself when he realised there was someone else already there.
“Hey,” he said quietly.
Connor jumped, and then looked round at Nick. “Oh, it’s you. You nearly gave me a heart attack!”
Nick laughed, and joined Connor at the shelf he was standing in front of. “Come to see for yourself?”
“Yep. Although now I’m slightly embarrassed you’ve caught me in the act.”
“Nothing to be embarrassed about.” Nick gave him an affectionate nudge. “What do you think I’m doing here?”
“Um, I…”
“I came to see too,” Nick told him, his second nudge accompanied by an eye roll. “I’m proud of you, Connor. And I’ll tell you that as many times as I need to.”
Connor ducked his head bashfully, and then his eyes returned to one particular book on the shelf. He reached out and brushed his fingers down the pristine spine.
“I know I have a whole box of these back in my office,” he said, “but there’s something about seeing it here, and knowing that anyone can read it whenever they like, you know?”
“I know,” Nick replied. “I remember my first book, and what a big deal it was to me.”
“Yeah, I’m in pretty exalted company,” Connor joked, glancing at up at another shelf, where there were several books lined up by one Professor Nicholas Cutter.
“I’m pretty sure you’ll be the exalted company in the not-too-distant future.”
“I’ll need to write a few more books first!”
“I have every confidence you’ll write a hundred.”
“Wow, no pressure…” Connor started, before Nick cut his words off with a kiss.
The shelves creaked gently as Nick pushed Connor against them. The kiss lasted for a long time, until oxygen became an unfortunate necessity and they broke apart, both panting softly.
“So I think you just fulfilled one of my old university fantasies,” Connor said. “Making out in the library stacks!”
“Oh?” Nick raised an eyebrow. “Not something you engaged in during your younger days then?”
Connor shrugged. “Didn’t really get the opportunity. No one was that keen on making out with me anywhere at that point.”
“Ah.”
“What about you, though? Any scandalous stories I should know?”
“I refuse to answer that on the grounds it may incriminate me,” said Nick loftily.
“Oh my god!” Connor sounded delighted. “Well, now I’m just going to have to winkle the details out of you. Wonder how I can do that?”
He pushed suddenly, and Nick stumbled backwards across the aisle. A second set of shelves creaked rather more loudly when his back hit them. He didn’t have much time to get his balance before Connor was plastered against him, kissing him again.
“There’s more where that came from if you tell me,” Connor said, when their lips parted again. He waggled his eyebrows suggestively, making it clear he was talking about more than just kissing.
Nick was getting the distinct feeling he was losing control of the situation. “Absolutely not,” he said, as firmly as he could. “Someone might see us.”
“I think we’ll be pretty safe in the evolutionary zoology section in the middle of August.”
“No, Connor,” Nick repeated. “Sadly, I’m not my scandalous younger self anymore.”
Connor looked momentarily disappointed, but then grinned. “Fair enough,” he said. He looked back at where his book was shelved. “Plus, I’m not sure I want to do it in front of the books anyway. I’d feel like they were watching me.”
Nick laughed. “Come on, let’s go home,” he said. “And once we’re there you can try anything you like to winkle the tales of my youthful indiscretions out of me.”
“Challenge accepted,” Connor said cheekily. But when Nick started to walk away, he lingered, staring again at his book.
“It’ll still be there tomorrow,” Nick said.
“Oh, I hope not,” Connor replied. “I want someone to borrow it and read it.”
“They will,” Nick promised. “People will be borrowing your books for decades.”
“You really think so?”
“I’m sure of it.”